The cat hoarders are exhausting me

[spinbaby]

I don’t want to share too many details because I don’t want to intrude on their privacy, but I’ve been trying to deal with neighborhood cat hoarders and it’s just about killing me.

Think Grey Gardens with cats. Two charming and darling old people in a hoarded, crumbling mansion with cats. Lots of cats. They have no idea how many cats and the cats have no names, but they claim to be very attached to them.

I noticed cats and kittens at their place while I was out on a walk last summer. I caught one of the humans outside, had a chat, and they agreed that, yes, it would be a good idea to fix the cats. So, with their permission, I started a TNR operation on their front porch. By the end of the season, 12 cats had new ear tips and one kitten was removed to a new home. I arranged for winter shelters for the cats and called it a season.

Fast forward to February. The hoarders call and complain that the neighbors are stealing their outdoor cats. But suddenly they appear to have a great many indoor cats, including a litter of kittens. Did they move their cats indoors? They deny it.

So far this season, I’ve spayed two of their cats and talked them into giving up four kittens to foster care. I have a sick kitten living in my bathroom and I’m getting up at 5:00 am to get two more spayed. Cats coming out of that house reek—I can’t imagine what the inside of the house smells like. I’m desperately worried about the cats in that house. There is no animal control for cats in our area and the local humane agencies have too much on their plates to help. It’s just me and a local low-cost cat fixing operation.

Sorry to unload, but I’m worried. And I’m tired.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. What about going to national HSUS or ASPCA?

[XanaDUer2]

2. Thank you for helping cats!

I'm a member of Alley Cat Allies, and you're doing God's work. I'm sorry it's so exhausting.

[niyad]

3. Lady Bast thanks you for looking after Her little ones. Are there no rescue groups in your

area? I can certainly understand that you are tired, and worried. I am surprised that animal control will not get involved.

Can social media help? Cat rescue groups online may be able to suggest resources??

Many blessings to you.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

4. Hoarders

Need to be permanently barred from having animals for thier lifetimes once they get busted with tons of suffering animals . The humane society, veterinarians and rehabbers need a database of busted hoarders. Like a background check .Then people working in adoption,animal welfare etc.would have a heads up and know they cannot adopt animals and cannot take in or have any animals. If they sneak any animal and hide it from the adoption place or from animal control or aspca they get the animals taken away
and mandatory therapy for 6 months.


I agree hoarding is a mental illness. But there has to be a limit.

We lock up sociopaths when they do crimes.
We need to cut hoarders off from having pets.

They mistreat,abuse,neglect animals.

They can say they loooove them and are attached. Who cares? Thier beloved pets are sick,hurt ,dying,neglected,
unfixed, take away thier animals because they are suffering.

Pedophiles claim they loooove the children they ruin for life too ya know.

If animal abuse is something you hate,then don't let busted hoarders have pets,period. They cannot be trusted to control thier illness. And they won't stop hurting animals without an intervention.

Once busted they should not be allowed any living creature in the house or on thier property forever.. They forefiet pet ownership .

Just like any asshole animal abusers would be barred..from having pets. Animal abuse in Maryland is a felony.

I think hoarders need to be seen as chronic animal abusers
Because that is what they do.

Fuck thier words and drama,just look at how the animals live and suffer because of them.

People who abuse people get locked up. People who neglect thier kids get them taken away.

Hoarders who neglect animals need to lose the right to have pets. Just like an abuser of animals does.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

5. Are you in Maryland?

I would help if I could.

[peacefreak2.0]

6. Is it possible the hoarders

need services themselves? A lot more issues could be involved.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

7. Yeah they need to have therapy

And often hoarders avoid therapy or cut out.

I think the hoarders need intervention and to be banned from having any animals if they have suffering animals.

Hoarders cannot be left alone to hoard.
Once they have an intervention they need therapy and it should be required of them for the sake of public health and animal welfare.

People who have done crimes often are assigned parole officers.

Hoarders need social services to visit thier homes regularly.

If animals are involved they need to be barred for life from having any animals as pets.

A database needs to be set up to do background checks for any organization,veterinarian or rehabber who works with animals or does TNR. To prevent other animals from suffering because of a hoarders illness.

Hoarders cannot be left to thier own devices.

[spinbaby]

9. We've discussed calling adult protective services

But decided against it. I like these people and, although they aren’t exactly together, they don’t have outright dementia. More importantly, they realize something must be done and are willing to let me help. They didn’t want a bazillion cats, they just didn’t have the resources to do something about it.